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Sex assault suspect kept apart from other inmates

Daniel John Lyons, 34, was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon after surviving a plunge off Rim Rock Drive. Shortly after his release, he was booked into Mesa County Jail on sexual assault charges.

According to Lyons’ warrant, he is accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl and several other related felony charges, including sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse.
Lyons, 477 32 1/8 Road, No. 4, Clifton, drove off Rim Rock Drive, about six miles from the east entrance of Colorado National Monument on Wednesday. Monument Superintendent Joan Anzelmo said officials believe Lyons was trying to kill himself.

The van he was driving dropped 120 feet into Red Canyon, landing on a rock overhang roughly 180 feet from the bottom. He was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital for his injuries.

Lyons is in the custody of the jail on a $60,000 cash or surety bond, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department. He is being kept separate from the jail’s general inmate population, the Sheriff’s Department said.